Key Of Knowledge by Nora Roberts Page B

him. He simply pressed her back to the wall and took.
    Heat flooded her, as enervating and nearly as terrifying as the cold she’d experienced earlier. There was no point in lying to herself, she wanted to feel this involved again, this aware of self, this needy.
    But lying to him was a different matter entirely, so she shoved at him, struggled with herself, and refused to yield to either.
    He laid a hand on her heart, and with his mouth only a breath from hers now, stared into her eyes. “Yeah. That got it going.”
    â€œGet this. It’s not going to happen. It’s never going to happen again.”
    â€œSomebody once said, ‘What’s past is prologue.’ ”
    â€œShakespeare, you ignorant jerk. The Tempest .”
    â€œRight.” Amused admiration flickered over his face. “You were always better at remembering that stuff than I was. But, in any case, I’m not looking to repeat myself. However much we’re the same, we’re that much different. We’re not the same people we were, Dana. I want a chance to see who we would be together now.”
    â€œI’m not interested.”
    â€œSure you are. You’ve got a curious mind, and you’re wondering, the same as I am. But maybe you’re afraid that being around me will prove too much for your self-control.”
    â€œPlease. You arrogant pig.”
    â€œWell, then, why don’t we test your self-control and satisfy my curiosity, and have ourselves a date?”
    He’d managed to throw her off. “A what?”
    â€œYou remember what a date is, Dane. Two people going out to a prearranged location.” Idly, he ran the lapel of her robe between his thumb and forefinger. “Oh, I see, you thought I meant we’d just jump straight into bed, rock and roll. Okay, if that’s the way you want it—”
    â€œStop it.” Baffled, annoyed, and more than half amused, she elbowed him aside. “I was not thinking about sex.” And because that was a complete lie, her tone was aloof. “There’s not going to be any rock and roll, as you so succinctly put it. And the idea of a date is just ludicrous.”
    â€œWhy? You’d get a free meal out of it. And the added pleasure of being able to shut me down when I put the moves on you, and send me home sexually frustrated.”
    â€œThat does have some appeal.”
    â€œSaturday night. I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”
    â€œHow do you know I don’t already have a date for Saturday night?”
    He grinned at her. “I asked Flynn if you were seeing anybody. I know how to do my research, Stretch.”
    â€œFlynn doesn’t know everything,” she retorted as Jordan strolled away. “Wait just a damn minute.” She rushed out into the living room, caught up with him at the door. “There are some basic requirements. The meal’s in an actual restaurant. No fast food, and not the Main Street Diner. And when you say you’ll pick me up at seven-thirty, that doesn’t mean you get here at seven-forty-five.”
    â€œAgreed.” He paused. “I know there’s no point in asking if you want me to stay, bunk on the couch. But you could call Malory, and I could hang out until she got here.”
    â€œI’m okay.”
    â€œYou always were, Stretch. See you.”
    Thoughtfully, she locked the door behind him before wandering back to the kitchen to pour the warm beer down the sink. It seemed to be her night to waste beer.
    She didn’t know if any of it brought her closer to the key, but she’d certainly learned some new things this evening. Kane already knew she was searching for the second key, and hadn’t wasted any time putting the whammy on her. He’d wanted her to know he was watching.
    And didn’t that mean he was worried that she had a good chance of succeeding?
    Yeah, that made sense. Malory had shut him down once. So maybe he would